Restoring a Dynaco Stereo 70 – Part 1
One of the great joys of the hi-fi hobby comes from doing it yourself – especially when restoring vintage tube equipment. Bill Thomas walks us through the first stage of restoring a Dynaco Stereo 70.
Bill Thomas
I have ALWAYS been fascinated with electronics and sound. I began studying music when I was five. I was always enthralled by radio and television and was an avid radio and TV dx'er before I was seven. I built my first electronic test equipment kit, an EICO 950 resistance/capacitance bridge, when I was nine and then began repairing neighbors' radios and televisions for the next few years. At the age of 14, I began full-time employment in the broadcast industry and received my First Class Radiotelephone license when I was 17. I have served as Chief Engineer at several broadcast facilities and have also been intimately involved in analog and digital recording. As an audio producer, I worked at the world's LARGEST broadcast services company and was deeply involved in the manufacture of phonograph records during that time. I became a HUGE "fanboy" of the Dynaco folks around 1960 and built my first Dynaco kit, an SCA-35, when I was 15. Shortly after that, I built my first reel-to-reel tape recorder. In "real life," I work with analog and digital audio on a daily basis. It is highly likely that you have heard my work over the past 25 years, but I have never sought a "spotlight." I am content with the knowledge that I have ALWAYS done the best possible job I could possibly do. I personally HATE the current trend toward over-processed, super-compressed sound. I have heard MANY master tapes that were recorded more than 55 years ago and today's engineers and producers could learn a LOT from the "old master" recording engineers. Likewise, many current equipment designers could learn a lot from the designers from the "golden age of Hi-Fi." I firmly believe that people are becoming tired of poor-quality and "voodoo science" when it comes to audio. Quality counts! In my "spare time," I restore, or rebuild classic audio gear in order to allow a few select people the opportunity to discover just how GOOD these units can sound. I profile these rebuilds in order to help others successfully restore or rebuild their own audio gear for maximum enjoyment over the long-haul. In the final analysis, it doesn't matter whether you prefer tubes or transistors, analog vs. digital, ultra-expensive interconnects or zip cord. What DOES matter is "what comes out of the boxes" to fill the soul with music. While my time is VERY limited, you may contact me at nostubesforyourdynaco@gmail.com. Just remember that replies can sometimes take awhile. I hope I can be of service to you. Bill Thomas